Fire-escape.



No. 639,75l. Patented Dec. 26, I899. J. MIGNOT.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed May 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES A llai'ney m5 NORRIS PETERS coy Pmn'oumo.v WASHINGTON, u. c

UNITED STATES JOSEPH MIGNOT, OF TYRONE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE F. WISE, OF SAME PLACE.

V FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,751, dated D b 26, 1899.

Application filed May 4, 1899. Serial No. 715,598. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH MIGNOT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tyrone, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, hat e invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to fire-escapes; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the fire-escape, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side view of the fire-escape. Fig. 3 is a crosssection taken on the line a; x in Fig. 1.

A is the frame of the fire-escape, provided with a cross-piece b at the top and a crosspiece I) at the bottom.

B is a guide for the wire attached to the cross-piece b at the, top, and O is an eye attached to the lower cross-piece b for engagement with a belt of any approved construction, which is passed around the body of the person desirous of escaping from the upper story of a burning building.

D is a reel having circular flanges d and journals d at its ends,'which are journaled in the frame A. A wire E is fastened to and wound upon the reel D between the flanges, and a wire strong enough to support the weight of a heavy person is selected and of a length suflicient to reach from the upper story of a high building to the ground. Such a Wire can be wound in compact form upon the reel, which is provided with a crank-handle c for this purpose.

In escaping from the building when the belt is attached to the person seeking to escape the free end of the wire is attached to some stationary obj ectin the room from which the escape is to be made. If desired, however, the free end of the wire may be made fast to the person, and the eye 0 of the frameA may be attached to the stationary object in the room.

E are circular brake-chambers secured to the frame A and provided with brake-rings or flanges e, which overlap the peripheries of the flanges d of the reel.

F is a brake-lever pivoted on a pin f, projecting from one of the flanges at near its periphery. Each end of the reel is provided with similar brake mechanism. The leverF has two notches g and g at its outer end, which are arranged out of line with each other.

G is a spring brake-band which normally fits loosely in the brake-chamber and has its ends placed in engagement with the said notches.

H is an arm provided with a heavy weight H, and .h is a guide-pin which projects from the flange d and engages with a guide-slot h in the arm h. v The inner end of the lever F is pivotally connected to the arm H by a pin 2'.

When a person commences to descend from a window of a building by means of this fireescape, the reel revolves rapidly and the weights H fly out radially by centrifugal force and press the spring brake-bands into frictional contact with the brake-rings of the brake-chambers. The parts are proportioned so that when a prearranged maximum velocity of descent is attained it is checked automatically by the brake mechanisms, and the remainder of the descent is accomplished at a safe speed under the control of the brake mechanisms.

What I claim is 1. 'In a fire-escape, the combination, witha frame,and areel journaled therein; of abrakering carried by the said frame, a brake-band in the said ring, and lever mechanism carried by the reel and operating to press the said brake-band against the brake-ring by centrifugal force when the reel is revolved rapidly, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a frame,and a reel journaled therein; of a brakering carried by the said frame, a spring brakeband in the said ring, and lever mechanism carried by the said reel and engaging with the ends of the brake-band, whereby the said brake-band is expanded against the said ring by centrifugal force when the reel is revolved rapidly, substantially as set forth.

3. Ina fire-escape, the combination, with a frame, and two brake-chambers arranged at the opposite ends of the said frame; of a reel journaledin the said frame and provided with flanges which revolve in and close the said brake-chambers, brake-bands arranged in the said chambers, and lever mechanisms carried by the said flanges and arranged in the said chambers in operative connection With the brake-bands, whereby said brake-bands are pressed against the saidchambers by centri fugal force when the reel is revolved rapidly, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a fra1ne,and a reel journaled therein; of a brakering carried by the saidframe, a brake-band JOSEPH MIGNOT.

lVitnesses:

W. M. SNYDER, A. A. SMITH. 

